Schumacher: I won at Wembley as a player - it would mean everything to lead Bolton there

Bolton Wanderers have carried the weight of expectation on them for several years now.

This is a big club - one that has averaged crowds of over 21,000 for three seasons now; one that has dreams of an eventual return to the Premier League, where they have spent 13 seasons in all.

But it is also a club that has been in Sky Bet League One for five seasons now - the longest stay in the third tier in club history.

Two play-off campaigns have ended in heartbreak. In 2022/23, they were beaten by Barnsley in the semi-final, while in 2023/24 they reached the Wembley final, only to be beaten by Oxford.

2021/22 - Finished 10 points outside play-offs

2022/23 - Lost to Barnsley in play-off semi-finals

2023/24 - Lost to Oxford in play-off final

2024/25 - Finished 10 points outside play-offs

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Steven Schumacher was not in charge for either, but he will already have been reminded of the recent history countless times going into his side's crucial second leg against Bradford on Thursday night, which is live on Sky Sports Football.

Bolton take a 1-0 aggregate lead into the game, thanks to a brilliant strike from Brighton loanee Amario Cozier-Duberry.

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"I knew the expectation before I came because of the size of the club," he tells Sky Sports.

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"It's a club we believe is bigger than this division, but this division is not easy to get out of.

"The expectation and the demand to get to the Championship is there and once you're in the building and you feel the mood when you win games, when you lose games, you can sense that this is a club that is desperate to get out and get to the next level.

"When you look at the size of both Bolton and Bradford and how well they are supported, both clubs are probably too big to be in League One. But that's where both clubs find themselves and one of us has got to find our way out of it if we can."

Schumacher, incidentally, made his name at Bradford between 2004 and 2007 after leaving the youth setup at Everton.

"It's a really good club and I enjoyed my time up there. It was excellent and got me going in the Football League - but all that goes to the back of my mind, if I'm honest," he says.

"They are a team we know have come into the play-offs with good momentum and were in the top six for the majority of the season.

"They deserve huge credit and we've had four good games against them this season and I'm sure there's going to be another good game to come. We know we have to concentrate the whole time if we're going to get the result we need."

There is another personal link for the 42-year-old in this tie - Bradford boss Graham Alexander was his manager at Fleetwood between 2013 and 2015.

The pair maintain a good relationship 11 years on will no doubt share a drink after the game on Thursday, as they have done already this season.